Automatic drum



Sept. 25, 1928. 1,685,090

A. M. LlFsHlTz 1 AUTOMAT I C DRUM Filed Sept. 27, 1927 ATTORNEY y end oi' the motor -shaft has a4 pinion 8 Patented Sept.,v 25, 1928.

,UNITED c,

1,685,090 PATENT orifice.

:ALEX M. LIFsHI'rz, or Bn'otLYN, NEW YORK.

*AUToMAfrIc DRUM.

Application led September 27; 1927. Serial No.`22`2,395.

For this purpose I provide arotatively mounted controller adapt-ed to operate at pre'- determined periods of time electrical con# tacts which operate drums and similar musical instruments. y n

constant speed being connectedwvith a constant and 'adjustable speed electric motor.

My invention is ymoreiu'lly described in the accompanying.specication and drawing in Which Y. r n Y Fig'. 1 is a diagram otconnection oi my de vices showing also diagrammatically the ap-v paratus themselves, Fig. Q is a sectional elevation of my controller, Fig-.3 is a view `of a controlling disc, and Fig. iis a similar view ofanotlier disc. f

automatic controller 1 comprises a housing supporting an electric inotor Q. The lower antrag ing` a worin Wheel 4`m`o`unted on a shaft 5. The motor isconnected with an electric line 6 by means of wire 7.

For maintaining on its shatt extension. This governor operates a frictional dis-c Qpla'c'ed between station- Y ary brake plates 10:* T liese brake platesinay be raised or lowered in order to regulate or adjust the speed of the motor.

connected withr shaft 18. By turning the cam by hand,for which purpose it. is provided rWith li handle 141, the crank lever llfina'y 'be moved one Way oi-l the other, tliere'b-yraising orloivering the brake plate 10 and accordingly changing the speed of the motor 2.l The cani Wheel 1Q has numbered divisions on its periiplieryfor guiding the operator when adjusting the speed of the motorp 4 f Y For changingv the motor speed for short pclike, in conjunction With the The controller rotates at av the speed oi the motor` constant a centrifugal governor 8 mounted The brake is a crankjlev'er 11 the lower end of which bearsfa'gainst a cam 12 mounted on ak fbars Q4 by means of a lead L15.

riods only, for instance,at the conclusion Of a musical piece, a pedal may be used, adapted to press on a rubber bulb 16 vconnected by* means of a flexible tubing 17 with an air cylinder 1S operating air piston 19 which pushes thelever 11.` This 'mechanism may be used for decreasing or increasing the inotorspeed,

depending on the arrangement 'of the air piston and the cam in relation to the `lever 11.

A plurality 'of discs 20 are mounted on the shaft 5, there being an equal number of them on'both ksides of the shaft. These discs are keyed on the shaft, being provided With key slots 21 for this purpose. They are r`evenly spaced. by means of spacing bushings 22, and have on the periphery a plurality 'of teeth 23. These teeth press against resilient Contact bars 24 rotatively mounted on a bar 25. On each side of the bar 24 on the bar 25 are placed bushings 26 which prevent the Contact bars Q21 from sliding' longitudinallyon the bar 25.

The Contact bars are spaced so that when one bar touches thevthird di'scQQ on the' left side of the shaft 5 (as shown in Fig. 2), then the right contact bar touches the cerrespcnding dise on the right side, also the third. The bar can slide longitudinally in the bearings in the walls of the housing l and provided with a handle 2? :it one end. The bar 25 has notches 28 equally spaced and tances apart as between the discs 20. Alatcli 28 with a tapering' end fits in the notches being pressed with a springl 29; This latch re` ,ains the bar in position when the contact bars "A are located exactly opposite correspondin discs 20. This latch yields, however,

when a strongpressure applied on the hany die 27.` A second bar 3G is attached to the handle 27 andslides together with the bar Q5. This second bar serves to support other ends 'ot' springs Si which are attacl'ied to'contact bars 24 an d tend to pif-ess theniagainstthe disc teeth A stationary bar 82 attached with its ends to the walls ot' the housing 1 prevents the Contact bars from moving too tar inside under action of spring'sl. Sliding Contact bushings 33 are provided for the bars 25 and.

y3() and are attached to the Wall of the housing' 1. These contactbushings serve to conduct the velectric curre'iit'to the bar 25 and contact- 'The' loiver ends ot the contact bars 24 are placed opposite Contact rods 85 and 36. These rods are fastened in the Walls of the housing 1 and are insulated therefrom by means of insulation bushings 37. The endsof the rods at the saine dis- .lll

lou

are provided with threads and nuts ttor clamp ina' lea( s or wires 38 and 39.

rllhe extreme lett disc is provided with a pin 0 which comes in contact with a spring l1 adapted to produce a slight ringing,- sound when struckV the pin y-l0.

The housing 1 is provided underneath With lues -12 tor attaching it to any suitable snpport. Ytor instance, to the edge ot' a piano or similarl musical instrument. .-1 clamping screw with a thumb head 43 on one end and a pressure plate L1st on the other.

rlhe rods and 36 are placed so that the contact bars 2-1 can touch them only when deflected by the teeth 23 and are separated when the smooth edge of the disc 20 moves against the bar 2-1.

The Contact bars 24 through the bar 25. contact bnshing 33 and a Wire or lead -il are connected with a pedal 16 which normally stays in the raised position against a stop et? under action ot a springl 4.8. rlhis pedal when depressed can touch a contact point 4,9 connected by Wire` with the line 6 (with the negative Wire as shoivn in Fig. 1).

The Wire 59 extends from the `line 6 and is also connected with a4 Wire 51 which is connected with a magnet coil 52 operating a mallet 53 of a large drinn 54:. rl`he other end et this coil is connected by a ivire With a contact button 62. A second contact button 61 is placed next to it and is connected With a .vire 63, a switch 65 and a Wire 38.

A pedal G0, When depressed, is adapted to electrically connect the buttons 5T and 58.r connected with wires 50 and 55 respectively. 1n its tree position it is raised by a spring 56 and touches buttons 61 and 62. he rire 0.is also connected vvith the lovver button 66 ot' a pedal 6T. The other lower button 'T4 ot this pedal is connected with a contact plate GS ot a controller 69 through a Wire 70. The contact handle 'T1 of the controller is connected by a Wire 72 with an upper button T3 ot the pedal 67. The other upper button 'T5 is connected with the vvire 39. In its upper position the pedal 6T closes the circuit between the buttons 'T3 and 75, and in its lower posit-ien it closes the circuit between the buttons 66 and 74.

A mallet 77 olf' a small drum T8 is operated by an electron'iagnetic device 79 with three wires. S0. S1 and S2 leading` therefrom. rlhc wire. 80 represents common lead and is connected through a. rheostat 83 ivith the Wire 59. rlie ivire S1 leads from a Vibrating;` mechanism in the magnet 7 9 and is connected with buttons 85, 86 and 8T. all three connected together. The Wire 82 leads from a single action (single strike) contact points ot' the magnet 79 and is connected Ywith a button S8 of the controller 69.

The gong 10S has a sott mallet 11-1 which may be used to mnie or to deaden its sound. This mallet is operated by a magnet 115 con-- nected by a Wire 11"(- with a button 118. A second hntton 119 is connected With the Wire 50. A pedal 76 is used to close the circuit on the magnet 115. The upper buttons ot this pedal may be used to connect the magnet 115 with the controller 1 in a manner similar to other connections througli special buttons on the controller 69 (not shown) and additional handle T1.

rthe mechanism 79 may be such as described in my above identilied patent, or ot any similar nature.

n. contact handle 89, when turned to the right (Fig. 1), may be used to short circuit the rheostat 83.

The contact handle 71 may be turned on its pivot to the extreme right position, indicated with dotted lines in Fig'. 1. It establishes electrical connections between its pivot, where the Wire 72 is attached, and the upper rovv ot' buttons, such as 85 and 88. It is in sulated, however, from the lower buttons, such as S6 and 8T, and from the Contact plate 68. rllhe connections between these lower but-tons and the contact plate 68 is established by means ot a contact brush vplate 90, insulated from the handle 71.

An electromagnetic device 91, similar' to the device 79, operates a brush 92. lt has three Wires, 93, 94': and 95. rllhe Wire 95 is connected with a vvire 80, Wire 93 With a button 96 and Wire 911 With buttons 9T, 98 and 99. The connections are not shown, being identical with connections for the device 79.

A similar device 100 operates a pair of Wooden blocks and has Wires 101, 102 vand 103, Wire 103 being connected with t-le Wire S0, Wire 101-With a button 1011 and Wire 102-viith a button 105. A similar device 106 operates a mallet 107 ot' a gong' 108 and has Wires 109, 110 and 111 connected similarly with the Wire 80 and buttons 112 and 113.

rllhe operation ot my device is as follows.

The operator first closes switch 11a thereb v starting the motor i.. By listening;- to the light. clicks o1 the teeth 23 striking springs 2l and the ringing` ot the spring 41, he. determines the desired measure or time intervals between the contacts tor his music and adjusts accordingly the motor speed by turning the cani 12 by the handle 14. ln this adjustment he may be also `efuided by observing' divisions on the cam wheel. The cam tnrns the crank arm 11 thereby raising or lowering the brake platel 10 which controls the speed of the motor through movable alato 9 on the governor 8.

Then the operator sets the handles of the controller 69 in positions accordingT to the devices he Wishes to use. In positions shown in Fig. 1 the handle 65 is turned to the lett that the large drinn will be incluoed in the operations of the automatic mechanism. The handle 89 is turnedto the lett. so that the i the handle 27 so as to' place in operation the desired discs 20. yFor instance, the left disc 2'0, controlling tlielarge drum, may have four teeth, one for each half measure, and the right disc may have eightr teeth, one for each quar-l ter measure, for the smalldrum or other musical devices. For specialeflects a combina-L tion of discs may be selected in which the c small drum Will also-have beats between the others at regular intervals, for instance, by using disc shown in Fig. 3.

I found that live combinations of dises Will cover all` the requirements of the contemporary dancing music for which rmy mechanism .is especially adapted, although, ot

course, any number of such combinations may be used.

lVhen everythingis set right, the operator Watches for the ynext ringing of the spring 4:1 and then starts playing piano, violin or other musical instrument with which he leads his band or orchestra. yThe drums will beat then in aperfect time in a desired measure, as soon as he presses the pedal` 46' with his lett foot' thereby closing they circuit through the automatic controller.

It the operator presses noiv the pedal GO, then the large drum will be disconnected from the automatic controller 1 and, if the pedal touches buttons 57 and 58, Will produce a single sound. i

. In the positionof the controller handle 71 as shown, the small drinn Will be operated by the automatic controller 1 and the mallet 77. By pressing the pedal 67 the current will be disconnected from the single beat connections of the magnet 79 and vibrating mechanism will operate through contacts G6 and 7 4t continuously as long as the operators foot is'on this pedal. The automatic controller 1r will be then disconnected.

If the handle 71 is'turned on the buttons 85 and 86, then the vibrating mechanism of the magnet 7 9 will operate from the automatic controller 1. The action of the pedal will be the same as in the previousposition of the handle 1. I

It the handle 71 is placed over buttons 96 andr 99, then the brush 92 Will operate from thecontroller with single beats, and with vibrating beatswhen handle is placed on buttons 97 and98.v Depression of the pedal 67 will produce single continuous vibrations.

lith the handle overbuttons 104 and 105 the Wooden blocks 100 will operate, but Without vibration from the automatic controller. By placing the handle rover buttons 112 and 113 the gong niallct 107 will be operating from the automatic controller. Its sound may bef muillcd by pressing the pedal 76, l n The extreme right position ot' the handle 7,1 is indicated with dotted lines. VAn addi tional 'handle may be provided, however, tor separately operating gong and the blocks. Important advantages of my automatic ii'i'e'cl'ianism are that it provides the i'iiusicians with a perfect timing for their music, giving an automatic operation for band drums and other "similar instruments. llVith my device it is not necessary to have a drummer in the orchestra. The timing and the measure can be changed instantly While the orchestra is playing, also selection of the drums and their accompanying instruments.

VI claim as my invention:

1,. 1n an automatic drum, the combination with an electromaifnetic device ior operating said drum, of an automatic controller for said device, a motor for said controller, and niaiiually operated means r'for adjusting the operation of said controller.

Q. In an auton'iatie drum, the combination ivith a plurality of electromagnetic devices for operating said drinn, of an automatic controller for said devices, ay motor adaptedvto operate said'controller,.ineans to control the speed ot said motor, and means to control the operation of said controller.

3. inan automatic drinn, the combination with a plurality of electromagnetic devices for operating said drum, oiL an automatic controller for said devices, a motor adapted to opera-tc said controller, a plurality ot electrical connections i'cr said devices, and manually operated means to control saifl connections.

4. In an automatic drum, the combination with a plurality 'of electromagnetic devices y for operating said drinn, a plurality ot contact members tor said devices, a cylindrical member adapted to operate said contact members in a predetermined order, means to rotate said cylindrical member at a constant speed, `and means to control said speed.

In any automatic drum, the combination with a plurality of electromagnetic devices for operating` said drum. a plurality et contact'membei's for said devices, a cylindrical y member, a plurality et sections on said cylindrical member, said sections being adapted to operate said Contact members in a predeteri'nincd order, ineaiis'to change the relative position oit' said sectionsk and said contact members thereby changing the order lot oper-- ation of said devices, electrical connections for said contact. members. and manually operated means tor chai'igesaid electrical connec-,

tions. f

6. ln an automatic drinn, the combination with a plurality of electromagnetic devices for operating saidv drum, a pluralityT of contactinembers for said devices, a cylindrical member, a plurality ot sections on said cylindrical member, said sections being adapted to iii members in a predetermined order, a motor adapted to rotate said cylindrical member at a constant speed, means to shift said cylindrical member lengthwise thereby changing the order ot operation of said devices, electrical connections for said contact members, and manual means for controlling said electrical connections.

Signed at Brooklyn in the county of Kings and State of New York this 22d day of Sep te1nber,A. D. 1927.

ALEX M. LIF SHITZ. 

